Latch
by Mimzical
Summary: "Now I got you in my space, I won't let go of you, got you shackled in my embrace, I'm latching onto you." Orihime is trapped in the nightmare world of Hueco Mundo, guarded by Ulquiorra who she hates. But when everything seems to fall apart and feelings begin to get confusing, just who is latching onto who? Can Orihime and Ulquiorra work it out?
1. Prologue

First Fic Alert! I am rather nervous about posting my first ever fic! Alas! an author I am not, so please be gentle.

Disclaimer: If I invented _Bleach_ I would be very rich, I am not rich, therefore I did not invent _Bleach. _

* * *

_Now I got you in my space,  
I won't let go with you,  
Got you shackled in my embrace,  
I'm latching on to you._

'Latch' by Disclosure

* * *

_Come with me girl…_

Orihime sat bolt upright in her bed.

Darkness. It was always dark. The moon was the only company in this barren world but the darkness had conspired with it long ago, casting long, distorted shadows about the room which warped into terrifying monsters creeping up her wall. Watching. Waiting.

Orihime shuddered and hugged her knees to her chest. There was no escape.

Death. Death was everywhere. The stench flooded through the window, seeped through the walls and radiated from the floor like poison. Lingering. Decaying.

Orihime clamped her eyes shut to drown out the terror but she knew it would come for her eventually. Her head suddenly turned towards the door. Footsteps were approaching. A hard clicking echoing on the cold marble floor in the corridor outside. They were getting nearer. Orihime scrambled closer to the wall, clasping her sheet close to her chest. The footsteps continued to get closer. Orihime was shaking. The footsteps stopped outside her door and the door began to slowly slide open. She screamed.

Evil. Entering.


	2. 3 Libras

_Threw you the obvious and you flew with it on your back,  
__a name in your recollection, down among a million same.  
Difficult not to feel a little bit disappointed, and passed over,  
when I've looked right through to see you naked and oblivious,_

_and you don't see me._

_But I threw you the obvious just to see if there's more behind the  
eyes of a fallen angel, eyes of a tragedy.  
Here I am expecting just a little bit too much from the wounded,  
But I see, see through it all, see through, see you._

_So I threw you the obvious to see what occurs behind the  
eyes of a fallen angel, eyes of a tragedy.  
oh well apparently nothing, apparently nothing at all._

_You don't see me. You don't see me at all._

'3 Libras' by A Perfect Circle.

* * *

The loneliness was excruciating. Orihime longed to scream to break the oppressive silence but she was fearful of who might hear. She had been in Hueco Mundo for a fortnight and aside from her first terror filled night when _he _came, the only company she had was from the small servant arrancar who delivered her daily meals and refused to even acknowledge her presence. She would sit for hours leaning against her window, staring up at the moon as it taunted her from outside her cage with the freedom she so desperately craved. She had even begun to welcome the warped monster-like shadows which engulfed her room, but they didn't stop her waking in the night screaming. At least she supposed it was night, she didn't know anymore. The constant gloom made it impossible to tell.

Her door slid open and she turned around expecting to see the small servant arrancar who usually delivered her meals but gasped when instead she saw cold, emotionless green eyes staring back at her. It was him.

"Sit." was his only command. She obediently sat down at her table, staring at her hands in nervous anticipation.

She shuddered as she felt the temperature drop as he entered her cell. He slowly paced to the centre of the room, the moonlight bouncing off his alabaster skin making him even more pale and ghostlike than before. _Monster_. He surveyed the room and stepped aside to let the small arrancar bring in her food and plonk it on the table in front of her.

"Eat." His emotionless voice demanded.

She looked at her meal and grimaced. She slowly picked up her knife and fork and began poking her food trying to fight the urge to peep at him through her eyelashes. Intrigue got the better of her as she looked up. She instantly regretted it. His glassy, vacant eyes were boring straight into her and she quickly redirected her gaze to her plate and resumed her poking. She could sense him staring for a few minutes before he eventually broke the excruciating silence.

"Your friends have entered Hueco Mundo."

Her fork clattered to the table and her head instantly shot up. "You mean they are coming to save me?" Was this hope she was feeling? It had been so long.

"Wrong. They are coming to _try_ and save you. They will not succeed."

His words stung like a slap across the face and she flinched. She took a deep gulp of air to steady her frayed nerves and searched for the smallest bit of courage she could find.

"No. You are wrong. They will save me I know it." She jutted out her chin and crossed her arms like a petulant child. She hoped he could not sense her doubt.

"Weak." was his only response. Did she hear him right?

"E…excuse me?" she replied. She dared to look up.

"Humans…you are weak." His cold eyes were staring directly at her. "You cling to your hope as if it will save you, it only makes you weak. I can see it in your eyes, you do not believe what you say. You are simple. I can read your every emotion on your face. Lying to yourself is futile. They will not save you and you _will _become one of us."

His biting words cut through her like a hot knife.

"I will never become one of you," she managed to reply with more conviction than before.

"You do not have a choice." He interrupted. "Your humanity is as dead as your _friends._ You will eat when I tell you; if you refuse I will pin you down and force it down your throat. You will wear what I tell you to; if you refuse I strip you naked and force it on your body. You will say what I tell you to; if you refuse I will rip out your tongue and feed it to the Gillians outside. You defy me; I will strip you of your _humanity_ until you are nothing."

He paused to let his words sink in.

"Now eat." He said nothing more as he calmly walked towards the door to leave. Orihime looked down at her miserable plate of food, feeling the sting of tears forming behind her eyes.

"I hate you." she said flatly without looking up.

Ulquiorra turned his head to study her and responded in his usual detached manner.

"_Let them hate so long as they fear._ Tell me woman, are you frightened?"

Orihime considered his words for a moment.

"I may be frightened, but I hate you more." Now she was looking directly at him. "I will always hate you for what you have done to me. You may be able to order me around and make me look like the rest of you, but forever in my heart I will hate you and whilst that hatred exists, I will never be one of you."

Ulquiorra simply turned his head back to the door and continued walking.

"We will see about that," were his only words as the door slid closed behind him, leaving only silence.

….

Orihime had never been an angry person and she had certainly never been a violent person, but in that very moment, hot, seething anger was burning through her body. She picked up her plate of food and with every ounce of strength she possessed; she threw it at the door, causing the plate to smash and food to slowly trickle down.

"I HATE YOU!" she screamed.


	3. Hell is Here

"_Hell is empty and all the devils are here."  
_ William Shakespeare.

* * *

"That outfit unexpectedly suits you."

Orihime froze at the sound of his detached voice but refused to acknowledge him. _Him._ The very _him _that was the source of her anger, frustration and above all, hatred. Since their last encounter, these alien feelings had bubbled and festered until the monotony of her dismal existence in Hueco Mundo was now entirely consumed by her loathing of him. Ulquiorra. The heartless monster. He was the one who took her away from her friends, he was the one who brought her to the nightmare land, and now he was the one who silently taunted her with his intimidating presence…

…and just hearing his voice again made her skin crawl.

"I suggest you find that tongue of yours quickly woman. Aizen has summoned you and he will not be kept waiting."

Orihime's head zipped around at his words, her mouth hanging open in horror with any pretence of bravery temporarily lost. Ulquiorra was standing by the door with his hands firmly in his pockets and his eyes staring resolutely at her. The blinding light from the corridor engulfed his slender frame, illuminating his granite skin and giving the emerald tears on his cheeks a ghostly glint. Not a twitch of his eyebrow or quirk of his lip gave any indication of emotion as he continued to stare with his unnerving eyes. Orihime nervously patted down her clothes and took a big gulp of air as Ulquiorra stood aside from the door to let her pass. She held her head up as she walked out of her cell, trying to ignore the weight of his eyes on her and hoping the false courage she displayed would not betray the terror she felt.

Upon entering the corridor, Orihime was confronted with a sea of endless white which was in stark contrast to the gloominess of her cell. Instead of finding comfort in the opposing brightness, Orihime found it unnerving, like all the life had been bleached and stripped from the walls leaving only the empty husk of nothingness.

Ulquiorra immediately began to walk down the corridor away from Orihime and she obediently followed, but stumbled from the lack of strenuous use of her legs and fell to the floor with an ungraceful plop. Ulquiorra either did not notice or more likely, just did not care about his captive who was sprawled on the floor and continued walking without a backward glance. Orihime glared in his direction as she pushed herself up from the cold floor with a grimace and then continued to follow Ulquiorra whilst rubbing her sore backside.

The halls were empty and silent. Walking a few paces behind Ulquiorra allowed Orihime the opportunity to study him more closely without the fear of being subjected to his returning gaze. Ulquiorra was the symbol of everything she detested about this abhorrent world; cold, hollow and soulless, yet he possessed a powerful grace which was almost hypnotic to watch. Each mechanical step and measured movement was decisive and purposeful yet flowed naturally with the rhythm of his body. His ease within the world meant that he had to be otherworldly, a macabre angel of death which sought to ruin her life one piece at a time.

_I will not let him. _She vowed.

They walked through a labyrinth of corridors and stairs until they reached a large steel door which appeared to be their destination. Orihime began to feel a tightening in her chest as Ulquiorra pushed open the door and walked in.

Orihime timidly peered around the door and watched as Ulquiorra sat at a long table which was already occupied by a number of large looming shadows which were talking animatedly. As Orihime stepped into the room, the noise instantly stopped and the only sound came from the echo of her footsteps. She could feel eyes devouring her so she instinctively lowered her gaze and watched where she placed her feet before quietly sliding into a vacant chair as far away from Ulquiorra as possible. She regretted this move however when she looked at who she had inadvertently sat next to.

The burly man on her left was slouching in his chair with his bear-like chest exposed which openly displayed the hollow-hole in his abdomen. His hair was blue and the remains of his hollow mask extended from his jaw which emphasised his intense, feral eyes. A tall, lanky man sat on her right. He was leaning back nonchalantly in his seat with his hands interlocked behind his head and his sinewy legs stretched out lazily in front of him. He had long, greasy black hair and an eye patch obscuring his left eye, however, this did not stop him from leering at Orihime like a hungry beast.

Orihime looked around at the rest of the table, every face was as equally terrifying as the next, and every head was turned in her direction, sneering. Orihime shifted uncomfortably and sank lower in her seat wishing she could disappear. She looked over at Ulquiorra who was the only one not looking at her. He was sat rigidly upright with his hands placed neatly on his lap. His dead eyes were fixed on the wall in front of him and his gaze never flickered in her direction as if he didn't know she existed. This annoyed her, at least until Aizen entered.

All the Espada turned to look at Aizen as he took his place at the head of the table with his two lackeys flanking either side.

"Good evening my dear Espada. I hope you will join me in welcoming our new guest." His voice was like liquid mercury, calm and confident but with a hard metallic edge. "I am so glad you are able to join us, Orihime."

All eyes turned to her again, except for Ulquiorra who continued to look disinterestedly at Aizen. A nervous squeak escaped her lips.

"It appears we have intruders," Aizen continued. "But before we talk about that, let's have some tea."

Orihime gawped at him.

_Tea?!_

A hot steamy mug was placed in front of her and she studied it suspiciously before watching as the Espada picked up their cups and began drinking. She keenly observed with a morbid fascination to determine whether the liquid would spray out of their hollow-holes. She was almost disappointed that it didn't. With trembling hands she pushed her own mug to her lips and drank. The warm liquid trickled soothingly down her throat and she relished the feeling of heat which spread through her body. Warmth was alien to her in Hueco Mundo and she intended to savour the feeling for as long as possible.

After a mouthful of tea, Aizen leant forward in his chair and rested his chin on his hand. He would have been handsome in a rugged way, except his smile never quite managed to reach his eyes.

"My dear Espada. Let's begin." The authority was clear in his voice. "There are three intruders trying to break in; Yasotura Sado, Uryu Ishida and Ichigo Kurosaki."

_Ichigo_

At the mention of his name, Orihime tightened the grip on her mug and felt her heart flutter in her chest. She was not the only one who stirred at the mention of Ichigo's name, the man with the blue hair on her left banged his fist violently on the table, causing his tea to spill onto the hard surface.

"These pests are not a threat, I will kill them". His voice was gruff and dripping with malice.

"Patience Grimmjaw." Aizen responded smoothly. "I wouldn't underestimate these so called pests. The 22nd underground passageway has already collapsed."

"Only the 22nd, where's the danger?" The voice came from a dangerous looking man with shoulder length pink hair.

"Have you been listening at all? Lord Aizen just told us not to underestimate them," interjected a female Arrancar with blond hair.

The Espada all erupted into heated conversation. Orihime was sipping her tea whilst listening intently to the discussion. It was quickly interrupted by a loud bang as Aizen slammed his mug down onto the table.

"I have not finished speaking." Aizen interrupted coolly. The shock of his sudden action had caused Orihime to spurt out her tea which mostly landed on Grimmjaw. Grimmjaw did not look pleased.

"It appears they have entered Hueco Mundo to rescue our lovely Orihime and take her away from us." Aizen continued lazily whilst completely ignoring the tea-soaked Grimmjaw. "They will not succeed. Szayelaporro and Nnoitra," he looked towards the pink haired man and the man with the eye patch, "I want you to intercept the intruders at the outer wall. Harribel," Aizen turned toward the female Arrancar, "I want you to ambush the intruders from behind with your fraccion. The intruders will not leave Hueco Mundo alive."

"NO!" Orihime blurted. She had never meant to speak but upon hearing the horror of Aizen's despicable plan to ambush her friends, the words had instinctively escaped her lips. The Espada turned to look at her with probing eyes and Orihimi timidly looked down at her hands, her cheeks hot with shame from her outburst.

"Is there something you wish to say, Orihime?" Aizen asked with a devilish glint in his eye, he was revelling in her terror. Orihime's eyes remained fixed on her hands as she shook her head in answer to his question.

"Very well. Dismissed." The Espada quickly rose from their seats and Grimmjaw immediately turned towards her, a look of fury in his eye from his tea-soaked clothes. She tried to back away but walked into Nnoitra who was standing behind her.

"Check it out Grimmjaw, we have a new pet to play with." Nnoitra drawled, his reptilian eye devouring her like she was fresh meat. Orihime could feel the bile rise in her throat as Nnoitra and Grimmjaw edged closer, circling her like predators stalking their pray.

"She's a pretty one alright. I'll enjoy ripping this one to pieces." Grimmjaw sneered at her.

Orihime's eyes darted around for help but realised the other Espada were also leering at her like a ravenous pack of wolves, slowly closing in on an injured victim. Panicked, Orihime anxiously searched for Ulquiorra who was already walking out of the large steel door. Adrenaline pumping, Orihime elbowed Grimmjaw in the ribs and pushed Nnoitra hard in the chest and ran desperately in Ulquiorra's direction before the rest of her tormenters had the opportunity to pounce. She could hear the cruel, manic laughter of the Espada as she left the room.

She was gasping for breath when she managed to catch up with Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra immediately stopped and turned to look at her from over his shoulder as if he had forgotten she had existed but Orihime was relieved that he appeared to accept her presence and wordlessly continued to walk as she followed him back to her room. She walked much closer behind him now than she had before, remaining no more than a foot behind him, but continued to look over her shoulder to make sure no one was lurking in the shadows.

Orihime realised that her presence at the meeting was part of Aizen's sick game to torture and torment her with the destruction of her friends .It had worked. Orihime was shaking from her ordeal for the entire journey back to her room and could not disguise her erratic breathing. She could feel the sting of tears forming behind her eyes as she thought of the dastardly plan Aizen had concocted to ensure the downfall of her friends and realised it was all her fault; if she had not been brought here, her friends would never have come to save her. She thought of the menacing Espada and realised it was hopeless. She wiped away a tear that threatened to fall.

As if reading her thoughts, Ulquiorra stopped and turned his head to look at her over his shoulder with his grotesque eyes. Orihime recognised that they were now outside her cell.

"I see you have realised that I am not the only monster lurking in these halls." He said in his usual detached manner.

Orihime knew that if she looked him she would not be able to fight back the tears. He was right, this place was full of monsters and there was no way to escape her nightmare. Determined to not display her weakness, Orihime kept her head lowered as she hurriedly scurried past Ulquiorra to enter her room. Once inside, she grabbed the door and slammed it shut, hoping it would hit Ulquiorra in the face.

_I hate this place. _She thought, as she collapsed to the floor and cried.

* * *

**Author note: Firstly, thank you for not ripping me to shreds so far! Warm fuzzies to Cleotara, Ulquihimi7980 and Death-Angel-of-Anime for your reviews. Stryk123- thank you for the useful feedback, I hope you approve of the amended summery.**

**I needed to firmly set the scene in this chapter so I apologise for the lack of Ulquiorra/Orihimi goodness. However, I am now itching to get going with the actual story so from now on, there will be heaps!**


	4. Uninvited

_Like anyone would be,  
I am flattered by your fascination with me,  
Like any hot-blooded woman,  
I have simply wanted an object to crave._

_Like any uncharted territory,_  
_I must seem greatly intriguing,_  
_You speak of my love like_  
_You have experienced love like mine before_  
_But this is not allowed,_  
_You're uninvited,_  
_An unfortunate slight_

_But you, you're not allowed,  
You're uninvited,  
An unfortunate sligh.t_

_I don't think you unworthy  
I need a moment to deliberate._

'Uninvited' by Alanis Morrisette.

* * *

'_I am not the only monster lurking in these halls.'_

How true his words were. Her dreams for the last few nights had been plagued by ten menacing faces snarling at her whilst she lay paralysed in the middle of the long, marble table in the Espada meeting room. The figures would circle the table in a frenzied dance, their dark shadows slithering up the walls as they laughed feverishly. They would all close in, baring their vicious claws and licking their lips before suddenly pouncing, mouths open with blood dripping from their fangs, ready to rip into her flesh with their teeth. That was the terrifying moment Orihime usually woke up. Alone. And very scared.

It was a few days after the Espada meeting when Ulquiorra made his next appearance. The door to her cell opened and as usual, the small servant Arrancar entered with her food but this time, he was closely followed by Ulquiorra. Orihime gave a dark look in his direction as she dutifully sat down at the table and thanked the servant Arrancar who had placed her meal in front of her.

"Shall we play guess the meal?" She said to herself. There was a sacastic edge in her voice. "Ok, I will go first. Now this is tricky, but I really think it might be…vegetables and rice!"

She lifted the metal cover off her meal and gasped in exaggerated mock surprise to discover that indeed, it was soggy vegetables and clumpy, hard rice. _Again._ She wasn't the least bit interested by Ulquiorra's lack of response to her inane ramblings, but she was surprised to see him skulking about her room and inspecting her meagre possessions with an odd look. She picked up her fork and began stabbing violently at the vegetables, imaging it was Ulquiorra's head.

"Do you intend to eat your food, or massacre it?" Ulquoirra asked without looking in her direction. The lack of inflection implied his comment was definitely not a question.

Orihime jutted out her chin in defiance and scooped up a large dollop of vegetables and looked at it with a tiny smile before she took aim and tried to flick it at Ulquiorra, hoping the attack might stop him invading her personal space even more. She missed dismally but giggled as the food splattered onto the wall on the opposite side of the room to her intended target. Her soft tinkling laughter was so unfamiliar in the cold world of Hueco Mundo, it immediately caught Ulquiorra's attention and his head whipped around to look at her, his strange eyes narrowing a fraction in scrutiny. Shocked by his peculiar response, Orihime quickly shoved a spoonful of the offending food in her mouth, hoping the guilty look on her face didn't give too much away.

BANG!

A loud explosion suddenly boomed in the distance causing the floor of the cell to rumble. Orihime looked up at Ulquiorra whose eyes had flicked towards the window. Orihime instantly shot out of her chair and ran to the window and gasped with her hand over her mouth at what she saw in the distance. The sky was ablaze with a murderous fire which consumed the entire landscape and could have only meant one thing, the battle between her friends and the Espada had started.

"Ichigo!" Orihime cried desperately, her hands clutching the bars of her window whilst she prayed for her friends safety.

"Pathetic," she heard from behind her. She ignored him, wishing he would just leave her alone.

"I don't understand why you care so much." He spoke again.

Orihime flew around to face him. Ulquiorra was stood in the centre of the room with his usual bored expression plastered on his face.

"I _care _because they are my friends!" she snapped. The angry beast inside her was beginning to wake up.

"You think they are here because they care about you. Foolish woman." He took a step towards her. Orihme tried to take a step back but was blocked by the wall. "If they truly cared, you would not be here in the first place. They were so consumed with themselves that they never realised you might have been the actual target of our invasion." He continued walking towards her until he was an arm's length away .Orihime sucked in her breathe and flexed her fingers; Ulquiorra had lit a match to her temper and now it was close to exploding.

"Weak trash, they are only here because of pride," Ulquiorra continued "and they will die because of it."

She had heard enough. Nostrils flaring, Orihime raised her hand and hurled it towards Ulquiorra's face as hard as she could. It was a foolish move as out of nowhere, Ulquiorra seized her wrist with his cold, icy fingers.

Orihime gasped in surprise and then slowly raised her chin to look at his face, her pupils widening as he stared blankly down at her. _His eyes. _So unnervingly empty yet burning with an eerie power she had not noticed before. She tried to squirm away but her body was overcome by a terrible hollowness from the intensity of his eyes burning into hers and all she could do was stare helplessly back. Orihime was paralysed, frozen by Ulquiorra's scrutiny and the coldness of his hand grasping her wrist which splintered through her body like she had been touched by death itself.

_What is he doing? Why won't he let me go?_

Ulquiorra tilted his head a small fraction to the side. She thought she was going to be sick.

_Is he studying me?_

It was unnerving but she did not have the power to pull away. After a moment, he tugged her wrist closer to his chest which propelled her entire body towards him. Orihime tried to use her free arm as a barrier but the force of the motion caused her hand to become uselessly crushed between her and Ulquiorra's solid chest. She looked up.

Ulquiorra's expression remained emotionless as he bent his head down closer, bringing his face level with hers. His grotesque eyes unblinking as he examined her meticulously. She was completely powerless in his grip; he was a monster who could instantly break her wrist if he wanted, yet all he did was curiously study her whilst she stared feebly back.

She couldn't breathe and was aware of her heart thudding against her ribcage. She was pressed so closely to Ulquiorra that he must have felt the force of her heartbeat too. His black lips were parted slightly and she could hear the rattling of his breathing which felt strangely warm against her cheek.

The hand which was not holding her wrist began to move towards her, his long skeletal fingers stretching out as they slowly reached towards her cheek. Overcome with fear, Orihime clamped her eyes shut and flinched away from his hand.

"Don't hurt me!" she pleaded.

His hand stopped in mid-air. Orihime used his hesitation to try and snatch her wrist away from his iron grasp. A few moments of struggling and he silently released his grip causing her to stumble backwards, her fall only being prevented by the wall. Once free, she quickly flew to the other side of the room as far away from him as the small space would allow. She turned her back to him and hugged her arms around herself for comfort. Confused by what had just happened, it took her a few moments to gain enough control over her emotions to speak.

"I…I think you should leave." She stammered, her body was shaking violently.

The silence was excruciating but Ulquiorra did not move. After an agonising minute of nothing, he took a step in her direction but paused. As if changing his mind, he quickly turned around and stalked out of the room.

"I will be back to monitor you again in two days," were the only words he said as the door slid closed behind him.

Orihime held her breathe as she listened to his footsteps disappearing down the corridor. When eventually they died away, she relaxed her entire body. Finally she could breathe again.

* * *

**A/N: Happy new year folks!**

**Firstly, this chapter took a lot longer than expected as Father Christmas kindly brought me a kindle for christmas and I have been a little distracted (please therefore blame Santa, not me).**

**Thank you Albinos for pointing out my rather embarrasing whooper of a whoopsie! Hopefully all is now corrected and nobody needs to know shhhhhhhh**


	5. One Last Breath

_Please come now I think I'm falling  
I'm holding on to all I think is safe  
It seems I found the road to nowhere  
And I'm trying to escape  
I yelled back when I heard thunder  
But I'm down to one last breath  
And with it let me say_

_Hold me now_  
_I'm six feet from the edge and I'm thinking_  
_maybe six feet_  
_Ain't so far down_

'One Last Breath' Creed.

* * *

The sky was a swirl of glowing, scarlet embers bursting into bright, feral flames. The once monotonous terrain was now streaked with fiery tendrils which ripped through the landscape, leaving a hazy gauze of charcoal smoke billowing up from the ground. The world outside Orihime's window was burning, and somewhere, her friends were in the thick of it.

The scene was as mesmerising as it was brutal. Orihime had remained at her window ever since the battle had started, a lonely princess trapped helplessly in the stone fortress of Las Noches as the battle outside her window raged on for two days with no indication that the savage fighting was coming to the end. Her eyes continually searched through the swirling mass of smoke and fire, somehow hoping it would give her the reassurance she craved that her friends were safe, but with each new explosion which erupted to the sky, she would clench her eyes tight and pray even harder that they had not been harmed.

Her thoughts switched to the Espada who had been dispatched to ambush her friends and she began pacing nervously around her cell. The Espada were cruel, murderous beasts, she had never realised such evil existed in the world until she was dragged to Hueco Mundo and now it was all her fault that her friends had to confront such evil. She was frustrated at her own helplessness. If only she had been stronger, faster or smarter, she could have found a way out of this mess that didn't involve her friends getting hurt. But she had done nothing and now all she could do was watch by the side-lines as her friends came to her rescue. _Again._ Ulquiorra was right, she was weak.

_But Ichigo Is not weak, the Espada are nothing compared to Ichigo!_

A smile spread across her face as she decided that no harm could come to her friends if Ichigo was there. Could it? She quickly pushed the doubt from her mind and thought about how much she missed him. His handsome face, his beautiful smile, she wished…she wanted…if she had been braver she would have been able to tell Ichigo about her feeling's, but no, she had always been weak, even then. Maybe, one day, when this was all over, she would finally be able to tell Ichigo how she really felt and then…_and then what?_ Her brain already knew the answer, but it didn't stop her heart dreaming.

Her attention was brought back to the scene outside her window by a crescendo of notably loud explosions ricocheting through the sky. The noise was excruciating. Each eruption rumbled ominously through the floor of her cell and she had to pull her hand across her face to shield her eyes from the unbearable heat emanating from each blast.

_I think this is it, it's finally coming to an end!_

The sky erupted into one final explosion of intense green light which swallowed the raging fires and roared up to the heavens. Orhime clung desperately to the bars of her cell, watching in horrored awe as the glowing burst of energy blasted out in every direction. It could have been beautiful if it wasn't so frightening. The light ripped across the land until everything had been consumed by its power and with one final surge, it glowed from an intense, emerald green colour to a blinding white light and then shattered into millions of individual particles which fell silently to the ground.

Orhime held her breath. Silence. _It was over._

It was peaceful in an eerie way. Everything remained still except for the hazy fog of ash which drifted to the ground, covering the scorched earth in a blanket of soot. Her eyes probed through the rising mist searching for a sign of her friends but found nothing.

And then she felt it.

That subtle shift in the flow of the energy around her which told her what she had been dreading. Her friends were dead.

_Ichigo!_

She let her arms fall limply to her side. Her head started spinning and her eyes lost their focus as her world came crashing to a halt. Everything stopped for a brief moment and then the sickening twist in her chest sent her crashing to her knees in a heap. She clutched at where her heart had just been ripped out and replaced with a black hole of grief and cried out in anguish as the tears tumbled down her face. She rolled onto the cold, hard floor and hugged her knees tightly to her chest as a surge of tears burst uncontrollably from her eyes and overwhelming grief consumed her body. Her entire world had just imploded and in that moment, every dream and ounce of hope and love she had ever possessed leaked away from her body with her tears, leaving only an empty cavity of sorrow and despair. Before she had been lonely, and now, she was alone. Without her friends, she was nothing.


	6. Halo

_There's an anchor around my heart_  
_Dragging me down_  
_Beneath the waves in silence I fall_  
_There's a halo above my head_  
_Spinning me around_  
_'Cause I don't know if I'm alive or dead_  
_A dagger in my hand_  
_Bleeding me dry_

_All we have to lose is time,  
What we lose we leave behind,  
Stay around, and we will shine._

"Halo" by Orleander

* * *

Time passed. She wasn't sure how long she remained this way. She didn't care. She lay on the cold floor staring blankly at the wall in front of her wishing Death would take her away from this miserable world.

She only became dimly aware of a presence in her room when it spoke.

"You are obviously aware that your friends are now dead."

She shut her eyes and drowned out his voice. _Funny,_ Death sounded strangely like Ulquiorra, perhaps he was here to end her suffering_. _She remained motionless on the floor, welcoming the final blow from Death which will end it all. The hurt. The pain. But it never came. _Death is cruel. _

In her delirium she was vaguely aware of strong arms scooping up her limp body and carrying her over to her bed. She was gently placed down onto the soft mattress, and the blankets swiftly pulled up over her shoulders. The soft bed cradled her broken body and she was overcome by the weariness of her grief as her aching body sank into the mattress. She felt her eyelids become heavy and her consciousness began to ebb away. Somewhere between the border of reality and oblivion, she thought she heard footsteps leaving her room but before her mind was able to form any coherent thought, her world faded into black.

…

She dreamt of Ichigo. He was waiting in a beautiful meadow, surrounded by sweet lavender and bluebells. The sun was beaming down on his handsome face, encompassing him in a warm halo of light. He looked at her and smiled. He was beautiful. She giggled and ran towards him, hair streaming behind her as she ran as fast as she could across the field, arms outstretched ready to leap into his open arms. Her fingers were almost within reach but just as she went to throw her arms around him, he vanished, leaving her clutching at thin air. Her eyes frantically searched the meadow but found nothing. She was alone.

…

She briefly awoke from her delirium when she heard somebody scuttling around her room. She had remained exactly where she had been placed and had not moved, she couldn't move even if she wanted to, her muscles were numb and refused to budge. She must be a mess. The servant Arrancar tried to push a plate of food under her nose but she ignored him and closed her eyes again, wanting to shut out the miserable world of Hueco Mundo forever. A fresh wave of sobs overcame her and she slipped back into the void of despair.

…

"You will eat."

She slowly opened her swollen eyes and saw Ulquiorra standing over her. How long had she been lying here?

"Leave me alone." Her throat felt dry and scratchy.

"I understand your defiance. However, it was not a request, but an order. "

She ignored him and closed her eyes again. Why couldn't he just leave her alone to stew in her own self-pity?

"I believe you are already aware of the consequences of disobeying me."

She opened her eyes and looked up at him again. His cold face was pointed towards hers with his usual melancholy expression. She took a moment to let his words sink in, deciding she didn't have the strength or the will to argue with him. She begrudgingly pushed herself up to a sitting position, trying to ignore the protests from her muscles as she did. She paused a moment to stop her head spinning and eased her legs around to dangle over the side of her bed, it was exhausting just sitting up. Her table had been pulled up to the side of the bed and a plate of food was already waiting. She pushed the plate away. This was it. This was her reality from now on. She would be prisoner here and no-one was going to save her. Her friends were gone.

She was hit with a fresh wave of misery and tears silently fell from her eyes. Uquiorra's head tilted a small fraction, the movement was so small it was almost imperceptible, and then he spoke.

"Your eyes are leaking. Are you broken?"

Orihime sniffed and looked at him with blood-shot eyes, her mouth hanging open in confusion as her brain tried to form coherent thoughts. Did he just ask her a question? Usually he just ordered her around. She was so shocked it took her a while to decide whether to answer.

"I cry because I am sad." Her voice was barely a whisper and as she spoke she could feel the words getting stuck in her throat.

Ulquiorra seemed to ponder her answer and she thought that was the end of the conversation. His long, elegant fingers pushed the plate back towards her. She looked down at it and grimaced. She couldn't stomach the thought of eating but then Ulquiorra continued his unusual line of questioning.

"I do not understand why you chose to be sad," he said in his typical uninflected manner.

Orihime looked down at her hands, puzzled why Ulquiorra was taking an interest in her feelings and despite not trusting his motives for doing so, she wearily replied. "You can't choose to be sad. It's what happens when people you love… " she couldn't finish her sentence. It was too painful.

"Love." Ulquiorra paused a moment as if contemplating a new word. But then his demeanour changed. "I choose not to love. I choose not to be sad. I choose not to have the deficiencies of emotions which you humans possess. Emotions are weak. Tell me woman. Where has your love got you? "

She knew he would find a way to insult her eventually. "It doesn't matter what you think," Orihime retorted. "I love Ichigo and in every lifetime I will choose to love him again. I will carry around the pain of his loss as a reminder of the love I feel for him and the love I will always feel for him. He will be in my heart forever. There is nothing weak about that."

"Forever?" He placed his hands in his pocket as he moved to stand directly in front of her. He leaned his upper torso forward so that his face was closer to hers. She could see the coldness reflected in his eyes. "Tell me woman, if I carve open your chest and rip out this heart of yours, will it keep beating forever? A physical anomaly I believe."

"I don't expect _you_ to understand." She said coldly. She had had enough of Ulquiorra and his goading, she just wanted to be left alone. "You are empty. There is nothing in there except a black hole filled with rotting maggots. You haven't mastered your emotions, you are just dead inside."

She spat the last words out like they were venom. A dangerous look flashed briefly across Ulquiorra's face. Had she hurt him?

_Good. _

She was too numb and exhausted to function. She just wanted to crawl back into bed and wallow in her misery. She didn't care that she must look a mess; her hair was dirty, her eyes were blotchy and her cheeks were red from all her crying. She didn't want to eat, she didn't want to talk. She just wanted to stop being. With more force than before, she pushed the plate of untouched food away again.

In one swift movement, she was picked up and flung against the wall and pinned in place by Ulquiorra. If Ulquiorra wasn't holding her up, she would have been a heap on the floor like a ragdoll. Ulquiorra's face was so close to hers, their noses where almost touching. His cold hand gripped her cheeks, pinching them together and in his other hand, he had managed to obtain a spoonful of food which he now held to her mouth. She tried to struggle but he managed to gently tease the spoon to her lips, gradually prying them open and then he swiftly slid the spoon into her mouth and deposited the food.

She tried to spit it out but he held his hand over her mouth and pinned her shoulders with his body. She hadn't eaten in days, she just hadn't cared and now the warmth of food was alien to her broken body and she wanted to get rid of it. She coughed and spluttered but the food managed to slowly trickle down her throat despite her protests. When he was certain that she had swallowed it, Ulquiorra gently released his hand from her mouth but did not move his body. Orihime leant her head back against the wall, trying to catch her breath but found it difficult as her chest was crushed between the wall and Ulquiorra's solid body.

Realising she was struggling to breath, Ulquiorra pulled back enough to release some of the pressure against her chest. He then wordlessly held out the spoon to her in an almost human gesture, making it clear that it was up to her whether they did this the easy way or the hard way. She looked at him blankly for a moment, but then slowly nodded and took the spoon from him. Sensing her cooperation, he pulled away from her completely, but watched her like a hawk as she sat back down and pulled the plate towards her again.

At first it was a struggle to eat. Her throat was sore and scratchy and it hurt to swallow. But as the food slid down to her belly, she began to feel her body get stronger. Something inside ignited, it started off a small flicker in the pit of her belly but then spread through her entire body, bringing her back from the dark void with a fresh determination.

_They will not win._

She felt her legs and arms regain their strength and her mind seemed to be clear for the first time since she felt the presence of her friends leave the world. A small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. If it took weeks, months, years, she will bide her time. Someone will screw up eventually, and one moment was all she needed to get out of this miserable place. No longer will she allow herself to be labelled a victim, she will be a survivor and when this ordeal was over, she will mourn Ichigo and the loss of her friends properly, but she will not give this wretched hell hole the misery it wanted to take from her, it did not deserve her grief. For the sake of her friends, she had to fight back.

She finished her meal and gently placed the cutlery on the table. The servent Arrancar came bustling in and quickly removed her plate. She straightened her back and looked Ulquiorra straight in the eye and gave him a mischievous smile.

_Sooner or later you will let your guard down Ulquiorra, and when you do, I will be waiting._

Ulquioorra recognised the change in her demeanour and quirked an eyebrow in acknowledgment of her new found determination. The servent Arrancar left the room and Ulquiorra cocked his head in the direction of the door. He gave one final look back at Orihime, the corner of his mouth giving the smallest twitch of a smirk as if he was silently accepting the challenge which her renewed spunk would bring and then he swiftly turned back towards the door and without a word, left the room.

* * *

Author Note: Uh Oh! I killed off Ichigo eeeeeek! But there is kinda a reason for it so please don't throw things at me! But i think it's about time Orihme found her spunk and started fighting back.

I hope I have made up for taking so long to post with this double instalment! Thank you everyone who has taken the time to read and/or review. You make me feel jolly lovely :)


	7. Change in the House of Flies

**A/N: A friendly warning to say that there is violence in this chapter. Please, please PLEASE keep reviewing, your reviews give me wings (along with redbull of course).**

* * *

_I watched you change, into a fly,  
I looked away, you were on fire._

_I watched a change in you,  
It's like you never had wings,  
And you feel so alive,  
I've watched you change,_

_I took you home, set you on the glass,_  
_I pulled off your wings, then I laughed._

_I watched a change in you,_  
_It's like you never had wings,_  
_Now you feel so alive,_  
_I watched you change._

'Change in the House of Flies' by Deftones

* * *

"Are you going somewhere, Nnoitra?" a soulless voice called from the shadows.

Nnoitra held out his arm to signal to his companions to stop walking.

"Who's there?" Nnoitra called, his reptilian eye flickering wildly around for the source of the voice. Ulquiorra emerged from a dark crevice and calmly walked into the light. He stopped in front of Nnoitra and nonchalantly placed in his hands in his pockets.

"Ulquiorra!" Nnoitra exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"I believe you have something belonging to Lord Aizen." Ulquiorra stated coolly. Nnoitra looked at his companions and then back to the lone Ulquiorra.

"Are you going to stop me?" Nnoitra drawled, his razor teeth forming a sly smile.

"That is precisely what I intend to do."

Nnoitra responded with loud manic laughter. "Foolish move, Ulquiorra," he said and then swiftly reached behind his back to grab his Zanpakutō and swung it forward violently.

Ulquiorra flashed Nnoitra a devilish smile.

_Let the game begin. _

…

Orhime was sitting on the edge of the bed, absentmindedly brushing her long, auburn hair whilst gazing at the moon outside her window when she was disturbed by the sound of footsteps outside her room. She continued her brushing, dismissing it as '_only Ulquiorra'_ but as the footsteps reached her door, she paused. Something didn't feel right.

She quickly stood up and whirled around to face the intruder just as the door slid open and light from the corridor outside flooded into the room. As Grimmjow's body filled the doorway, her brush clattered to the floor.

"What are _you_ doing here?" She asked, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.

Grimmjow didn't say anything but the bone around his jaw emphasised the twisted leer of his mouth as his eyes looked up and down her body. He looked pleased with what he saw.

"Where's Ulquiorra?" she asked, a bit more brusquely this time whilst craning her neck to try and see if Ulquiorra was standing behind him.

"Why?" Grimmjow snorted, "do you miss him?"

It was Orihme's turn to snort. It was most unladylike.

Grimmjow flashed his sharp teeth and leisurely strolled into her room. Orihime quickly noticed he had left the door open but tried to remain poker-faced. She didn't trust him.

He looked around her meagre cell, his eyes cataloguing the few possessions she actually owned and then seeming to be satisfied with what he saw, plonked himself ungraciously on her bed, leaning back with his hands interlocked behind his head, bringing his legs and dirty boots to rest on her white sheets.

Orihime's fixated on the mud he had just splattered on her bed and put her hands on her hips and glared at Grimmjow in what she hoped was a petulant display of the annoyance she felt. Grimmjow took no notice of her and instead smiled smugly, clearly not bothered by his complete disregard for her, or her room, which only seemed to rankle her further.

"Where is Ulqui…" she tried to ask. But she was swiftly interrupted.

"_Ulquiorra," _Grimmjow spat his name, "has been sent by Lord Aizen to retrieve the Hōgyoku which was stolen from him."

Grimmjow might as well have been speaking Swahilli for all the sense it made to her.

"The Hygo..what!?" she asked shortly, Grimmjow was annoying her and she wanted him out. Grimmjow rolled his eyes at her apparently dumb question.

"You really are stupid, don't you know anything?" She didn't reply but continued to glare, but he proceeded to explain anyway. "The Hōgyoku is a small stone which has the power to dissolve the boundaries between Shinigami and Hollows, allowing one race to attain the powers of the other."

_Oh. _

"But who would want to steal it?" she asked with a little more interest. Although he acted like he was irritated with her stupidity, Orihime got the impression that Grimmjow actually revelled in the opportunity to display his superiority. Sensing a different tack was maybe needed if she wanted to find out when Ulquiorra will return (and thereby no more Grimmjow), she decided to try and put aside her annoyance at his need to be an ego-centric prat and did her best to be at least civil.

_And try and ignore his dirty boots on my bed _she thought crossly.

The result was a pained smile which resembled somebody pretending to be happy that they had Appendicitis, but it apparently worked.

"Nnoitra." he replied, and then paused for what Orhime assumed was 'dramatic effect' and she played along with an audible gasp. Okay, maybe she overdid a bit but it seemed to spur Grimmjow on to continue.

"It would appear that Nnoitra has been planning to steal the Hōgyoku for a long time, but the arrival of the intruders provided the perfect distraction. Tesra Lindocruz** - **Nnoitra's fraccion, was going to steal the Hōgyoku whilst Nnoitra had the perfect alibi of blowing Ichigo's brains out." He looked at her pointedly and sneered before continuing in his lazy drawl. "Tesra was supposed to then vanish, leaving Nnoitra to stick around for long enough to avoid suspicion before skipping off into the sunset with his brand new Hōgyoku."

"What went wrong then?" she asked innocently. Grimmjow gave her a dark look and she quickly tried to explain "I..I..I mean, if that was the plan, how did he get caught? Something must have gone wrong?"

"Yeah something went wrong alright, that something was _Ulquiorra_!" Grimmjow said bitterly, and then his voice started to rise in anger. "Somehow that annoying arse hole knew it was Nnoitra straight away and confronted him. Nnoitra is stupid, impatient and bloodthirsty and reacted to Ulquiorra's goading. An idiotic mistake to make, _I_ would of not been that stupid. But Nnoitra tried to cover his tracks and eliminate Ulquiorra before he could confront Aizen, but of course Aizen aleady knew, and now Nnoitra has fled with his fraccion."

"and Ulquiorra has gone after them, alone?" She said quietly, feeling a knot begin to tighten in her stomach. Was she worried? She shook her head. _No._

"Will Ulquiorra be back?" she asked with more control. Although she wanted to know the answer to that question a little more than she was maybe willing to admit.

Grimmjow snorted.

"Hah! That miserable bastard! If Ulquiorra doesn't bore Nnoitra to death, I hope Nnoitra rips Ulquiorra's head off." He made violent slashing motions with his hands as his voice boomed across the room.

Orihime's mouth formed a silent 'o'. It would appear that Grimmow and Ulquiorra were not exactly buddies. Was that good? She decided that from some reason it was.

"Why are you so interested anyway" He said, turning his attention back to her. "Didn't take you long to get over loverboy."

That stung but she was not going to give him the satisfaction of knowing that. She held up her chin haughtily but Grimmjow seemed to enjoy her childish display. He sat up straighter and swung his feet around to the floor and leaned his body forward to scrutinise her with his gaze. She took an instinctive step backwards away from him.

"Well, no matter, with Ulquiorra gone, you and I can get better acquainted." A hungry look flashed across his features and he stood up, puffing out his bare chest. He began to swagger towards her with his arms swinging arrogantly from side to side like a gorilla. Apparently the time for chit chat was over.

"So tell me girl, what makes _you_ so special that Aizen has Ulquiorra guarding you hmm?" He was standing right in front of her now and she had to crane her neck upwards to see his face. She emitted a nervous squeak.

His gaze swept over her body and he brought his face down in front of hers and lowered his voice to a seductive purr. "Granted, you are a pretty little thing and I bet your blood tastes just as sweet as you look." He nestled his nose into her neck and rubbed it against her skin, as if he was savouring the smell. She stood there paralysed, feeling her muscles clench with fear. "Mmm yes you smell good too. But Aizen don't keep pets for no reason."

He pulled his face away a fraction and ran a hand through her hair, watching intently as the lose tendrils flowed through his calloused fingers. Orihime gulped, she was completely helpless.

"Rumours are," he continued, bringing his rough fingers to grip her jaw and squeezing, "that you have some sort of powers. Is this true?"

She didn't say anything.

"Are you not going to answer me?"

She shook her head. No matter how scared she was, her gut was telling her that the less Grimmjow knew about her, the better. He didn't like that.

_Crack_

His fist connected with her jaw with a sickening crack, sending a shooting pain through her facial muscles as she collapsed to the floor. Grimmjow laughed manically.

"Shall we try again?" he asked cruelly as he lifted her back to her feet. She could feel the metallic taste of blood in her mouth. He pushed her against the wall and clamped his hand around her throat.

"I have many ways of making you talk bitch." He spat and then squeezed his fingers tighter around her throat. She felt her airways constrict and her eyes bulged as she started to gasp for air. Her hands clawed at Grimmjow's wrists, trying to get him to stop but he just squeezed harder. She searched frantically around for help but all she saw was the malevolent glint in Grimmjow's eyes as her head began to grow fuzzy. Tears of desperation leaked down her cheek as the pain in her head and throat intensified. She weakly tried to push against Grimmjow's solid bear-like chest but it made no difference and the pain continued. Her lungs were burning, her vision was blurred and her head felt so heavy she thought it might fall off. Her head finally slumped forward and her eyes began fluttering wildly as she started to lose consciousness. But then she saw it, _the light_. It was beautiful. And then she realised what it was.

_The door!_

With one final effort, she placed her hands on his chest and tried to push again. This time when she pushed, instead of meeting a brick wall of muscle, she felt a charge of intense energy surge through her body and funnel towards Grimmjow. She had never felt anything like it as the energy released itself from her body to reject Grimmjow with an almighty blast which catapulted him across the room and crashing into the opposite wall with a sickening _thunk_.

Orihime immediately keeled over and began coughing and spluttering. Her heart was pounding violently against her chest as her body desperately drew in the fresh air it needed, causing her lungs to ache and her throat to hurt. The erratic breathing eventually turned into slower, more steadier breaths and her weezing came to a gradual halt. Regaining some of her composure, she managed to wipe away the tears which had fallen down her face and gain enough control to look up. Grimmjow was slumped in an unconscious heap on the floor. His right elbow was sticking out at an unnatural angle there was a savage wound to the side of his head which was bleeding down his face. He wasn't moving. Orihime looked down at her hands in horror.

_What have I done!_

She forced her limbs to stand up. Her legs felt weak and she wobbled slightly, but she succeeded in gaining sufficient control of her legs. With a sob, she took an instinctive step forward to help Grimmjow but then hesitated. Did she really want to do this? Her head turned towards the open door, she couldn't believe she had forgotten about it and all pre-tense of helping Grimmjow vanished to be replaced by one single thought.

_Oh my God! This is it!_

And without further hesitation, she ran.

* * *

**A/N: Sadly there is not much of Ulquiorra in this chapter, but I hope we will be seeing a lot more (as in topless!) Ulquiorra in the next installment to make up for it! Oooh I am such a tease ;)**

**Please keep reviewing, your feedback is really helpful. Special shout out to Albinos and ulquihimi7980 - you guys rock!**

**Huggles all!**


	8. Creep

**Author Note: This chapter turned out rather grisly in parts so please be aware I have changed the rating to keep the rating police happy. You have been warned! Also, as it has been a while since I posted here is a quick recap: Orihime is under the guard of Ulquiorra who has been sent a special mission to retrieve the Hōgyoku from Nnoitra. Meanwhile, Grimmjow behaved like...well Grimmjow, which back-fired massively and Orihime managed to escape from her cell and is now running loose in Las Noches. Phew! Let's get on with it.**

* * *

_When you were here before_  
_Couldn't look you in the eye_  
_You're just like an angel_  
_Your skin makes me cry_  
_You float like a feather_  
_In a beautiful world_  
_I wish I was special_  
_You're so fucking special_

_But I'm a creep, I'm a weirdo_  
_What the hell am I doing here?_  
_I don't belong here_

_I don't care if it hurts_  
_I want to have control_  
_I want a perfect body_  
_I want a perfect soul_  
_I want you to notice when I'm not around_  
_You're so fucking special_  
_I wish I was special_

_She's running out the door_  
_She's running out_  
_She runs_

_But I'm a creep, I'm a weirdo_  
_What the hell I'm doing here?_  
_I don't belong here_

'Creep' by Radiohead.

* * *

Ulquiorra advanced towards the pitiful creature in front of him, the end for Nnoitra was close. Nnoitra clung onto the last dregs of his despicable life, huddled alone in a pool of his own blood in the Forest of Menos surrounded only by the broken bodies of his fraccion. Blood continued to spurt from the stump of his amputated leg, but he desperately continued to drag his torso towards the broken blade of his Zanpakutō. His fingers connected with it just as Ulquiorra's foot kicked it away again, but a shard snapped off which Nnoitra seized in his bloody hand.

Ulquiorra cruelly grabbed Nnoitra by the neck and pulled his body off the ground until his face was level with his.

"Now you will know true despair." Ulquiorra said coldly, his green eyes unblinking.

With the shard of his Zanpakutō firmly in his hand, Nnoitra responded by laughing manically, his eye dancing wildly with desperate insanity as with one final roar of rage, Nnoitra swung the broken blade and thrusted it into Ulquiorra's stomach. The blade glided through Ulquiorra's flesh, piercing through his abdomen until it tore through the skin on other side with droplets of blood spraying into the air.

Ulquiorra's looked down at the wound with a morbid interest, watching as the crimson blood stained his pale skin and seeped into the white fabric of his uniform before calmly grasping the front of the blade and wrenching it out with his free hand. He discarded it swiftly before turning his attention back to Nnoitra, his facial expression remaining eerily blank as he twisted his head at a peculiar angle, ready for the kill. Nnoitra knew it was over.

Ulquiorra plunged his hand deep into his chest, causing blood to congeal in Nnoitra's mouth and dribble from his lips with a sickening, gurgling sound. Ulquiorra squeezed the heart and twisted it free before violently ripping it away from Nnoitra's body, splattering blood everywhere. Nnoitra's body instantly went limp and Ulquiorra released the grip on his neck, sending Nnoitra's body crashing to the ground in a mangled heap. He was finally dead.

Ulquiorra had no interest in the body itself, however, he held Nnoitra's heart up into the moonlight and surveyed it with a detached curiosity. It was slick with blood which dribbled into his hand but it had already been dead for an eternity, leaving only a shrivelled, putrid, black lump.

_I fail to comprehend her fascination with the heart._

The thought was fleeting, but he blinked. _Her. _His hand instinctively curled around the cold, dense, mass, smothering it with an unknown possessive force as he crushed it tightly in his palm.

Impervious to the massacre he had created, he dispassionately surveyed the scene until he spotted the Hōgyoku lying in a pool of blood next to Nnoitra's dead body. He bent down and retrieved it, his mission was now complete. He turned away with mechanical precision and with the coattails of his blood-stained jacket billowing behind him, he serenely walked away.

He never even had to draw his sword.

...

Las Noches was a labyrinth. Orihime had been running for what felt like hours, forcing her legs to keep pumping as she twisted and turned down corridor after endless corridor. It all looked the same. Her lungs burned, her body ached and her breath escaped in ragged gasps, but her adrenaline kept her moving through the endless, white maze. She took a left, then another, and then a right, sprinting as far away from that damned cell as possible. She rounded a corner, skidding to a sudden halt as the floor suddenly dropped into darkness. _Stairs._

She took a tentative step forward into the black of spiral staircase and leaned over the edge, unable to see the bottom through the gloom. The darkness felt threatening. She heard a roar erupt in the distance, startling her. Her missing presence had now been noticed, she had lingered here long enough. With a final glance at the light, she took the brave step into the black chasm and down she ran.

…

"I have returned, Lord Aizen."

"Welcome back, Ulquiorra," Aizen responded coolly; his body slumped lazily in his throne. "I will assume your mission was successful."

"Indeed Lord Aizen. I present to you the Hōgyoku and the heart of the traitor Nnoitra."

Ulquiorra walked up to the marble throne and kneeled before Aizen in submission, placing the two small items on the stone step below Aizen's feet before resuming his original position. Aizen glanced briefly at the objects with disinterest, his steely eyes quickly returning to study his loyal subject.

"You have pleased me Ulquiorra, however, I see you are wounded."

Ulquiorra followed Aizen's gaze down to the hole in his abdomen, his green eyes unblinking as he inspected the savage wound. "It is of no consequence," he responded dismissively. "Lord Aizen, I sense Nnoitra was not acting alone in his betrayal. "

The atmosphere in the throne room suddenly felt chilly and Aizen's demeanour darkened. He shifted in his throne, interlocking his hands together and bringing his body forward in his seat to fix Ulquiorra with a hard glare. "An interesting theory. Enlighten me."

"Nnoitra possessed a depraved bloodlust for battle and a repugnant ego which was disproportionate to his actual abilities. His abhorrent arrogance and impulsive nature meant he lacked the foresight and patience needed to engage in such a plan on his own volition. The architect of this plan would require a malignant cunning which Nnoitra does not possess. I would suggest you look closely within the Espada for his accomplice."

Aizen smirked. "You are perceptive Ulquiorra, you have confirmed my suspicions. I believe time will reveal many things. But for now, I wish for you to return to your duties guarding the girl. I fear your comrades may be a little…rough shall we say if left to their own devices too long." Aizen waved his hand. "You are now dismissed."

"As you wish, Lord Aizen." Ulquiorra gave a small bow and turned to leave when the large doors at the end of the hall suddenly burst open and an out of breath Grimmjow came flying into the room with blood dribbling down his face and his arm hanging uselessly by his side.

"She's escaped!" Grimmjow wheezed. "The girls escaped!"

…

Down and down Orihime plunged into the darkness, her feet hurriedly skipping over the stone steps in the never-ending stairwell. How long had she been running? Despite her desperate panting, something grabbed her attention. A noise from somewhere above. She was not alone in the dark of the stairwell, she was being followed. Adrenaline pumping, she ran faster now, her feet pounding down the steps as she descended further and further down in the eternal darkness.

_There has to be a way out!_

The sickening noise continued to pursue her. _Drag .Hiss_. She couldn't stop, she had to keep continued to spiral downwards, too afraid of the malevolent force to stop. The spiral staircase twisted in unexpected direction and Orihime lost her footing and skidded down the steps, her body smashing into a wall with a loud _crack_. She had to get up, she had to keep going, she had to run. _Drag. Hiss. _It was getting closer now, and moving faster down the steps. She desperately pulled herself up and forced her legs to move. A horrid unnatural cold was creeping over her, the thing was getting closer. She had to get out of the dark. She had to get out now.

_Light!_

She saw a glimmer somewhere down below. She just had to keep going. _Drag. Hiss._ The dark force in the stairwell was calling out to her, enticing her soul back into the blackness. She had to find the light but the closer she got, the harder the force tried to suck her back in. _Drag. Hiss._ Sweat beading, she forced herself to continue, her legs heavy like she was wading through a swamp, but she could see it now, the exit! The thing felt so close. Too close. Then long icy fingers lashed out and scratched her shoulder blade, ripping the material of her robe. Heart racing, Orihime jumped down the last few steps, her feet propelling her out of the thick stone passage of the stairwell and bursting into the blinding brightness of a harshly lit corridor. She sprinted as fast as she could down the long hall, her hair streaming wildly behind her as a high pitched shriek erupted from the stairwell. She rounded a corner, glancing back to see a long, black form reaching out of the darkness of the shadows of the stairwell and into the light of the corridor. The chase was not over yet.

…

"She's escaped, the girls escaped!" Grimmjow heaved as he burst through the doors. He ran into the hall, and stopped before Aizen, ignorant of the presence of the Cuatro Espada beside him.

Aizen silently cocked a questioning eyebrow at Grimmjow, his facial expression unimpressed.

"That stupid bitch bloody did this to me!" Grimmjow spat, indicating his useless arm. "When I find her I will tear that bitch apart, limb by limb! I will break every bone in her body and grind them down into dust. I will rip her ti…"

"I find your incompetence annoying." Ulquiorra interrupted coldly, alerting Grimmjow of his presence.

Grimmjow turned to Ulquiorra and hissed. "Oh great, Ulquiorra's alive. That's all I bloody need."

Ulquiorra twisted his head to look at Grimmjow with a cold, unblinking stare when suddenly his hand snatched out and grabbed Grimmjow by the neck.

"Which is more than you will be soon if what you say is true,_ Grimmjow_." Ulquiorra responded. "Tell me, how was a silly girl able to escape?"

"I was just having a bit of fu..urgh!" Grimmjow yelped as Ulquiorra's hand squeezed tighter around his throat.

"Ulquiorra," Aizen interrupted calmly. "I suggest you release Grimmjow. He will be leaving this room alive." Grimmjow sagged in relief. "However, I cannot guarantee that all of his limbs will remain intact."

"Wha..!" Grimmjow exclaimed, suddenly fearful.

Ulquiorra calmly turned to look at Aizen. "As you wish, Lord Aizen," and he casually released his fingers so that Grimmjow fell to the floor in a heap.

Aizen smirked, enjoying the spectacle and turned to directly address Ulquiorra, ignoring the simpering mess that was Grimmjow on the floor of his throne room.

"I want the found girl immediately. Every Arrancar in this place will search for her, with particular attention paid to the exists. She won't get far. She is just a human girl. However, it is essential to our plan that she is found alive."

"Yes. Lord Aizen." Ulquiorra bowed and calmly swept out the room and closed the doors behind him, just as Grimmjow began to scream.

…

She continued to run, desperate to get away from the sickening creature. She sprinted down one corridor, then another, twisting and turning down an endless labyrinth of passageways, sensing the dark foreboding presence not far behind. She turned again and skidded to a halt. The corridor had opened out and she was now standing in the middle of a large circular room with ten plain, wooden doors. The only way out was either back the way she came or through one of these doors . _Drag. Hiss. _She could hear it approaching but all the doors looked the same, which one was she supposed to choose?

She ran to the first one and tried to turn the knob. It was locked. _Drag. Hiss._ The sound was getting louder. She dashed to the next one, her heart sinking when the knob did not turn. Looking frantically behind her she could see the long shadow of her pursuer creeping up the wall. Any moment now it would turn the corner and see her, she had to escape now! She hurried to the next door. Locked. But something flashed in the corner of her eye and she turned her head to see a light shining under the one of the doors a few places down. She hastily ran to it, ignoring the others in between and grabbed the knob, praying under her breath that it would open and almost yelped with joy when the knob turned in her hand . _Drag. Hiss._ The door was stiff and got stuck as she pushed it open. She desperately hit and kicked it but it still did not budge. The air around her felt cold and she knew the _thing_ was about to turn the corner. Orihime took a step back and mustering every molecule of power she possessed, she slammed her body against and the door and finally it sprang open, sending her flying through it. She quickly slammed the door shut and pulled down the heavy bar, barricading herself away from the terrifying creature outside.

She pressed her ear against the door. It was a struggle to hear the grotesque dragging sound of the creature over the thumping of her heart but she listened intently as the thing slowly dragged itself around the room outside, shuffling slowly past each door and twisting each knob in turn. Orihime felt bile rise in her throat as it crept closer. It was her door next. She prayed it would skip hers and just move onto the next one, but it heaved its large body along and paused, directly in front of it. Orihime sucked in her breath as the knob slowly turned and she wondered if whatever it was could break down the door. The knob rattled violently and Orihime had to clamp a trembling hand over her mouth to stop a whimper escaping, but the door did not budge and the creature let go of the handle and moved on. Orihime waited with baited breath as it shuffled around, eventually one of the doors clicked open and she heard the creature disappear, leaving only silence.

Orihime released the breath she had been holding and her body melted to the floor, collapsing in an exhausted heap. Her muscles ached from all the endless running. This place was so big, how did she possibly think she could escape? And what was that terrifying creature? No, she had to stay strong, she must not think like that. She leant her head back against the door and rested her eyes for a moment, allowing her erratic breathing to gradually settle back into a steadier rhythm. It felt good to rest, maybe she could stay here, just for a moment.

She wearily lifted her eyes to the room around her and her brows furrowed in confusion.

_Where am I?_

She had been in such a frenzy to escape the _thing_ that she hadn't paid any attention to the room she had inadvertently stumbled into. It looked markedly different to the others she had seen. Whilst the rest of Las Noches was an empty, monotonous shell with nothing to distinguish one place from another, this room was very different. It was a long hall, dimly lit by dusty candles hanging intermittedly from golden chains suspended from an elaborate high-arched ceiling. It must have been impressive once, but the gilded tiles on the walls were cracked and coated in a thick layer of grime and the marble floor was smothered in dust and soot.

Intrigued, Orihime scrabbled up from the dusty floor and grabbed one of the candles . She slowly edged forward into the room, holding the candle up high so that its glow illuminated the intricate carving of the ceiling. It was breath-taking. It depicted celestial beings entwined in an intimate dance as they floated through the heavens and stars. Arms, limbs and bodies locked together, their faces a serene delight, as they danced through the clouds, together for eternity. Orihime felt a pang deep within, the sorrow she had buried for Ichigo rising into consciousness. She would never be able to have that Ichigo. Not anymore.

Her feet crunched on what sounded like glass and she swung her torch low to inspect the floor. Splinters of broken mirror littered the ground, the light of her candle dancing wildly off each fragment, dispersing a complex matrix of light around the room. She followed the path of the shattered glass and trailed the light of the candle up the wall until she reached a large, rectangular mirror covered in dust. Orihime moved closer and used the sleeve of her robe to wipe away the dust, revealing her distorted reflection in the shattered surface. She scrutinised the distinctive pattern of the fractures, using her fingers to lightly trace the jagged edges which formed an intricate web of fissures which converged in the centre of the mirror like it had been struck with a fist. This mirror had been broken deliberately.

She moved away and explored further along the hall, her feet encountering more glass. She raised the candle up high and was surprised at what she saw. Mirrors. Hundreds of mirrors of different sizes, different shapes, flanking both sides of the hall all the way down to the end. She scuttled along, studying each mirror carefully as she moved past. Every mirror, equally broken, had the same distinctive pattern; somebody had lashed out in anger and violently destroyed every mirror, but why?

Orihime felt uneasy, she didn't want to be in here anymore. _Pain_. She knew the meaning of that word now, and it was staring back at her in each shattered piece of glass. Who had done this? A million broken versions of herself were reflecting back at her in discarded fragments, taunting her. What had been so terrible that somebody couldn't bear to have it stare back at them? Las Noches had always felt so empty and emotionless but this room was filled with something different, something with feeling, and that feeling felt a lot like hate. She had lingered long enough, it was time to leave.

There was a sudden banging on the door. Orihime froze, staring at the door with horror.

_It's found me!_

The pounding on the door continued, its deep sound booming ominously through the room, its hinges creaking and straining against the malevolent force that was trying to break through. Orihime backed away as far as she could, gripping tightly to the candle until her back was pressed against the back wall at the end of the long hall. Panic seared through her body, threatening to overwhelm her in an almighty rush. Her breath escaped in ragged gasps as her hands trembled, causing the light of her candle to dance wildly as the terrifying assault against the door continued. Her mind whirred frantically, desperately searching for an escape, her eyes darting over every corner of the room, searching for something she may have missed. Nothing.

The door blasted open, sending wooden splinters everywhere. A terrifying shadow filled the doorway, cloaked in long black robes which obscured its face as it appeared to sniff the air around it. An unnatural cold enveloped the room, encasing Orihime's heart in an icy tomb. The thing lifted its arm and its long black fingers curled, beckoning Orihime. The icy grip on her heart twitched towards the horrifying creature, like invisible strings pulling her towards the terrifying shadow which was waiting to devour her. She gripped her candle stick tightly with both hands, her finger nails digging into her skin, the pain reminding her of the need to resist. Her skin felt cold and clammy, with sweat beading her brow as the urge to follow the creature increased.

The shadow released an ear shattering screech and it launched itself down the hall, hurtling towards Orihime with the force of a hurricane. Orihime screamed, the sound of her terror bouncing off the walls. The shadow flew down the wall, launching itself at Orihime, so close, she braced her trembling legs and just as its long arm lashed out violently, she ducked. With as much force as possible, she thrusted her candle into its soulless face, causing the shadow to emit a blood curdling shriek. Orihime darted past the creature and sprinted for the exit as the creature writhed in pain, and she flung herself out of the door and back into the labyrinth of corridors and passageways.

As she bolted down the corridor, the creature remained close in pursuit. Running, running, running. She could not stop. Sprinting down one corridor, then another. Speed was her only advantage as she turned through the passageways, tears spilling form her eyes as she forced her exhausted body to keep going. She rounded a corner and it opened out into an enormous, bright hall with pillars flanking both sides.

A dead end.

The thing remained close behind, she could hear it. _Drag. Hiss._ She frantically looked around but there was no way out. She was trapped.

_Stupid STUPID Orihime!_

She could see its shadow snaking up the wall as it got closer. The ghastly sound of its footsteps echoing through the corridor, steadily getting louder as it approached. A horrible emptiness was creeping over her, like the life had been sucked away from the air, leaving only cold. Tears streamed down Orihime's face as she stood there helplessly. She had nowhere to run. It was over.

She was suddenly grabbed from behind and yanked behind a pillar, a hand swiftly clamping tightly over her mouth to muffle her screams. She frantically tried to squirm and struggle, her hands clawing at the arms which held her captive, but her captor pulled her tighter against his concrete body, locking her in an iron embrace.

"I suggest you stop moving."

Her eyes widened as she recognised the cold, smooth voice of Ulquiorra against her ear. After a final kick to the shins which she concluded he deserved for scaring her so much, she ceased her struggling and nodded to indicate her obedience. He still held her firmly, her back pressed against his body with his arms wrapped around her securely whilst his cold hand remained over her mouth and together, they watched the approaching shadow. It began to loom closer to their hiding place, the air becoming unnaturally cold as it appeared to suck the air into its black vortex. They both remained frozen in their strange embrace, watching in silence as the shadow reached their pillar and paused, sniffing the air around it.

Orihime held tight onto Ulquiorra, his presence providing a soothing calm to the horrible emptiness which was threatening to creep over her. She concentrated on the feel of his breath as it gently caressed the exposed skin on her neck and she closed her eyes and allowed herself to relax into him. His body felt strangely comforting locked against hers and she turned her head towards his and breathed deeply, inhaling his scent and letting his calmness wash over her and spread through her body in warm waves.

After a long moment, Ulquiorra removed his hand from her mouth.

"It has gone." he whispered softly, his breath mingling with hers. She nodded in acknowledgement, her head feeling hazy from the hardness of his body pressed against her.

"W..what was that thing!" she asked, her voice shaking. Ulquiorra slowly unfurled his arms and dropped them to his side but Orihime remained still.

"The Black Reaper. It roams these halls, hunting for souls to devour. I suggest _little girls_ who have escaped from their cells should stay away from it." The cold hardness of his voice returned, instantly slicing through the fog of her thoughts. The escape! She pulled away and whirled around to face him but he remained encompassed in the dark. She was only able to see his eyes which were gleaming through the shadows.

"What are you doing here, Ulquiorra!" she asked breathlessly, trying to ignore the strange humming of her body.

"Since you are supposed to be in your cell, I might be expected to ask you the same thing."

"So your only here to take me back?" she asked, although she already knew the answer. She felt deflated as the bitter sting of failure and humiliation washed over her. "Just bloody great!" she grumbled to herself. "Escape Number One is a big, fat, bloody failure!"

"Correct." Ulquiorra said matter of factly. "Now look at me." She wasn't sure she wanted to and tried to shirk away but his pale hand quickly emerged from the dark and his long fingers gripped her chin. He slowly turned her head sideways to inspect the bruises on her cheek and neck.

"Grimmjow?" he asked simply.

She nodded.

"Are you pain?" Orihime was taken aback that he had asked such a…well such a normal question! She was slightly touched by his apparent concern but she wasn't going to let him know that and kept her expression hard.

"It stings, but I can heal myself."

"Very well," he replied flatly, and then completely ruined whatever normal interaction they might of been having by wordlessly picking her up and flinging her over his shoulder causing Orihime to shriek in shock. He then proceeded to carry her towards her room like a weightless sack of potatoes.

"PUT ME DOWN NOW! She wailed, her legs and arms flailing around frantically. "Hey! I can walk you know!"

"I am fully aware that you are capable of walking, however, it appears that you are _not_ capable of obeying simple commands."

_Hurumph_

"I definitely do not like you." She grumbled.

…

Orihime had sulked for the entire journey back to her inside the dark cell again, Ulquiorra gently eased her down from his shoulder and placed her carefully on the ground. She was glad to see Grimmjow was no longer slumped on the floor, although there was now a noticeable crack down the centre of the wall. She crossed her arms in frustration at being back in this miserable room again and turned towards Ulquiorra, nostrils flaring, ready to give him her best scowl.

"I don't know who the hell you think you…oh my God!

Ulquiorra's appearance was shocking, his robes were ripped and her eyes focused on the blood. He was covered in it. The blood glittered in the moonlight, casting an eerie glow across his pale skin. She guessed it did not belong to him which chilled her even more, reminding her that she was alone with a sociopathic predator that could kill her without blinking. And then her eyes found the ghastly wound in his abdomen which was still oozing blood.

"Ulquiorra! You are bleeding!" She hesitated a moment, but then rushed over to inspect the wound closer, her fingers reaching out to poke it.

"A minor irritation." He tried to turn his body away from her scrutiny but she instinctively grabbed his cold hand to stop him. He completely froze.

"I can help." She blurted out, her voice feeling tight in her throat. She nervously bit her bottom lip, unsure how Ulquiorra would react to her offer. For some unknown reason, it suddenly became important to her to help him.

Ulquiorra's body remained completely still, but his head turned towards the alien hand which was holding his and his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Orihime followed his gaze, and she suddenly become embarrassed at realising her hand was still on his and quickly jerked it away. Ulquiorra then slowly raised his head up to look at her, his eyes narrowed to scrutinise her face as if trying to establish a hidden motive.

"You just tried to escape, I brought you back." He stated, although his voice retained its usual composure, she sensed it was a little quieter than usual.

She thought about why she had offered to help, unsure if she even understood it herself. "I may not know what that Black Reaper thing was, but I get the impression you may have saved me from it. Plus, if that wound gets gammy and your kidneys fall out, I will probably get stuck with Grimmjow so I guess…well I guess... Grimmjow made me realise that maybe you are not the worst person here. But that doesn't mean I like you."

"You are foolish. Woman."

"I must be. You might want to sit down." She twitched her head towards the bed.

"I do not take orders…."

"Oh just sit down already before I change my mind!" she said, and watched as he stiffly walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge, his back remaining rigidly upright with his hands placed neatly on his lap. Orihime continued to watch the strange creature with curiosity, apparently he was completely incapable of relaxing and he looked very out of place in her room. The moonlight filtered through the window and bathed him in a soft glow. He was so otherworldly, not like anything or anyone she had ever known. He was so…complicated yet implausibly simple at the same time. She had to shake herself out of her daze. She still hated him.

She picked up her jug of water and filled a bowl and pulled up her chair to sit in front of Ulquiorra, becoming strangely aware of how intimate this moment suddenly seemed to feel. With a deep, calming breath, she leant forward in her chair and examined the wound carefully. It was deep but it was only when she saw the blood dripping down Ulquiorra's back that she realised it had pierced all the way through. It was much worse than she initially thought and she needed a closer look.

"I..I…think I might need to remove this." She squeaked nervously, indicating his torn robes. She felt the hot flush of embarrassment prickle her cheeks but when he did not answer, she hesitantly peeped up at his face from underneath her lashes. His brows furrowed at her suspiciously but he did not stop her as her trembling fingers slowly reached for the first button. She expected him to recoil when her fingers lightly made contact, but when he remained still she slowly unfastened the button and paused briefly to glance at him nervously but his gaze was focused on watching her fingers with interest. She sucked in her breath and poured all of her concentration back to the buttons as her hand slowly slid down to the next one, feeling the hardness of his chest beneath the bloodied fabric . She clumsily fumbled with the remaining buttons until the last one popped open, exposing a small flash of pale flesh and her fingers glided up to his broad shoulders. She slipped a finger beneath the fabric, feeling the coolness of his skin underneath her fingertips and gently teased the fabric over his shoulders, her fingers lightly grazing the contours of his defined arms as she slid the robe off and swiftly discarded it, revealing the solid expanse of his pale torso smeared with blood.

His skin glowed in the moonlight like smooth marble, his perfection marred only by his hollow hole and the large '4' tattooed onto his concrete chest. He was a warrior; his flawless body sculpted from a lifetime of fighting into hard, lean muscle which led down to a firm, taut stomach. She swallowed hard. Orihime had always considered Ulquiorra an unearthly terrifying creature, she had never considered him to be anything else, but as he sat in front of her, his pale body glittering in the moonlight, he intrigued her more than he should have and only one word came to her mind. _Beautiful. _

She felt her cheeks grow hot and tried to focus her attention on his wound again. The wound was beginning to fester, the blood congealing into a putrid black scab around the entrance. Orihime wrinkled her nose in revulsion and then released a breath she hadn't realised she had been holding and concentrated on the warmth of her power as it flowed through her body and released through her finger tips, bathing Ulquiorra's wound in a bright pool of light. She kept her eyes fixed resolutely on his wound, not allowing her gaze to drift to his solid chest and she cleared her throat, sensing the urgent need to break the strange intimacy of the situation.

"This doesn't mean I have given up trying to escape you know, "she said, her voice cutting through the eerie quiet.

"Try as many times as you dare, the result will always be the same." Ulquiorra responded blandly. Usually this sort of response would rankle her but instead she peeped up at him, a small, timid smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"I will. Dare I mean," she said softly, then her gaze flickered back to her hands which were hovering over his wound as she continued to heal him. They lapsed into silence for a moment, both deep in thought and then Orihime spoke again.

"Why do you think Nnoitra tried to steal the hygo..erm..thingy?" The scabbed edges of his wound began to draw closer together.

"The _Hōgyoku,_" he corrected calmly, "is an object of great power treasured by Lord Aizen which has the ability to dissolve the boundaries between Shinigami and Hollows. With the Hōgyoku in his possession, Nnoitra would be able to breed an army of Arrancar to rival Lord Aizen's. It was an idiotic plan, born from lust for power. Nnoitra was a fool to believe he would succeed."

Orihime shuddered at the thought of an Arrancar army raised by Nnoitra. The skin around Ulquiorra's wound was beginning to knit itself together.

"So it was Nnoitra that did this to you?" She asked, indicating the wound.

"As I said, Nnoitra was a fool to believe he would succeed."

The flesh around the wound began to seal itself shut and formed a raw, puckered scar which gradually began to fade, blending into his pale skin until it completely disappeared.

Wordlessly, Orihime grabbed the bowl of water she had placed on the floor beside her chair and pulled it onto her lap and swiftly dropped in a small rag and rung it out. She leant forward and went to wipe away the dried blood on his skin but before she managed to touch him, he flinched away from her hands. Orihime gasped and pulled the cloth back towards her and glanced up at him with a worried expression, expecting him to push her away and storm out of the room. He eyed her wearily but she was pleased that he remained still and she decided to try again.

She approached more slowly this time and tentatively dabbed at the spot where his wound had been to remove the blood. His muscles tensed when the cloth touched his skin, but she continued to carefully trace the cloth over his skin until she felt his body begin to relax. She silently gulped as her hand followed the contours of his firm stomach with interest, cleaning the blood away with delicate strokes until his pale skin glowed and she slowly made her way further up his torso, feeling his strong pectoral muscles through the cloth as she gently wiped over the '4' tattooed on his chest. She bit her lip nervously as she carefully avoided the hollow hole on his sternum and slowly traced the cloth over the sharp line of his collar bone and wiped away the flecks of blood splattered on his neck.

She dipped the cloth into the bowl again and squeezed the water out and held the cloth close to his cheek. She tried to keep her gaze focused on her trembling hand but as she gently trailed the cloth over the splatters of blood on his jaw and cheek bones, she got distracted by the feel of his warm breath tickling her cheek and she paused to look at his face. He returned her stare, his unblinking eyes fixed on hers. She hadn't noticed before, she had always thought his eyes were an endless vacuum of green. Vacant, empty. But now, as she really looked at him, she thought they looked almost sad. _Melancholy_. She still found his stare deeply chilling but she realised now it was because of the sadness reflected in the penetrating orbs of green.

_What has made him this way?_

She felt a strange lurch in her chest, a magnetic tug towards the strange creature before her. As if in a trance, she dropped the cloth into the basin of water and without knowing what she was doing, her hand reached out to touch his face. Her outstretched fingers lightly grazed his cold cheek, gently following the tracks of his teal tears down his face, feeling the smoothness of his cold alabaster skin beneath her fingertips. His pupils went wide and his black lips parted with shock as he sucked in a savage breath and recoiled from her touch. Orihime gasped as she realised what she was doing and quickly snatched her hand away with horror and abruptly pushed her chair away.

"All better!" she screeched, her hands flailing madly as she stood up and scuttled to the other side of the room. "You should probably get plenty of sleep to make sure though." She blurted, the words awkwardly jumbling out of her mouth at a million miles per hour, and then her mouth opened in horror as she seemed to realise she may have what she just said. "I MEAN…erm…if you sleep of course."

_Oh God! Stop talking!_

"We sleep."

"Oh, I mean, of course you do! I mean why wouldn't you sleep. Everybody has to sleep!" She laughed nervously, wishing her mouth would stop talking gibberish. What the hell was wrong with her! She clamped her mouth shut so more sound could escape.

Ulquiorra looked down at his abdomen where his wound hand been, his elegant fingers gliding lightly over the taut skin with interest. His head snapped up and he eyed her with a hard stare, making her feel naked from the intensity of his scrutiny. Then he abruptly stood up, revealing his large, bare torso. Orihime felt rather giddy all of a sudden.

"I do not understand you," he said simply, and with a small bow, he swiftly left the room, leaving a confused Orihime staring after him.

_Huh!_

* * *

**Author note (again): *insert usual plea for reviews here***

**Goodness me, this ended up a whopper of a chapter! Sadly I think bit off more than I can chew with this one. I also may have taken a few liberties, is Ulquiorra a button wearing guy? Who knows! Do Arrancars still have their hearts in their bodies? Meh, they do now! Please keep reviewing, I really want to know if I am taking this in the direction it needs to go or if I have lost the plot completely, your feedback is really helpful! Peace and love folks x**


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